BREAKING NEWS, RIGHT NOW! Multiple people hit in a shooting near the Empire State building

A gunman has shot multiple people near the Empire State Building in the Midtown area of Manhattan, according to several news reports.

New York City's ABC 7 says happened at Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street around 9 a.m. ET. Ten people were hit by gunfire, the New York Post is reporting.

The Associated Press and others say police shot and killed the gunman near the tourist entrance of the Empire State Building. Reuters reports that two people have died. The Post said the fatalities include the gunman and an innocent bystander.

Word of the shooting spread fast on social media networks.

"Woah. My friend just witnessed a shooting in NYC in front of the Empire State Building," one woman said on Twitter. "4 dead. And Americans say the world is dangerous!"

The number of fatalities has not been made official.

Eye witnesses told CNN that the gunman was using a rifle or shotgun.

Traffic was diverted around the Empire State Building as investigators responded to the scene.